Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Victims' families decline death penalty in gruesome FL murders

This story got to me. Two college students were murdered while camping in a Florida forest last year by a man who, frankly, decided to kill them on a whim with an AK-47. If ever there was a case that cried out for the death penalty, this is probably it.

But the students' parents have declined capital punishment. Partly because the appeals process would dig up painful memories, partly because the victims wouldn't have wanted it.

And I'm sorry, I just had to pass along this quote from the murderer, who was asked why he murdered two strangers a few minutes after meeting them:

"I have my little fantasy world and whatnot," Boatman said. "I've read
lots of books, you know, and then I probably got onto, like, the murder
mysteries. ... They kind of got me into that state of mind."

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Victims' families decline death penalty in gruesome FL murders

This story got to me. Two college students were murdered while camping in a Florida forest last year by a man who, frankly, decided to kill them on a whim with an AK-47. If ever there was a case that cried out for the death penalty, this is probably it.

But the students' parents have declined capital punishment. Partly because the appeals process would dig up painful memories, partly because the victims wouldn't have wanted it.

And I'm sorry, I just had to pass along this quote from the murderer, who was asked why he murdered two strangers a few minutes after meeting them:

"I have my little fantasy world and whatnot," Boatman said. "I've read
lots of books, you know, and then I probably got onto, like, the murder
mysteries. ... They kind of got me into that state of mind."